“In Vaisnavism that narrowness is not there …”

“In Vaisnavism that narrowness is not there …”

SGGM - Singapore Hotel Darshan 17-5-1995

From an informal room conversation with
Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja in Singapore on May 17, ‘95

Ananta das (now Tapasvi Maharaja): Srila Gurudeva, when we were in Malaysia .. we we’re meeting some disciples of Prabhupada … and many are taking shelter of Narayana Maharaja. And they kept on asking us, ‘What is Gour Govinda Maharaja’s opinion on this?’ So I was wondering what we should reply.

Ananta das: … and they’re Prabhupada disciples, but they know of you …

Srila Gurudeva: Who are they?

Ananta das: … well one devotee was Brahma-muhurta from Boston, and another devotee was … uhm. Can’t remember. From L.A. What’s his name?

Gokuldas das: Uttama-sloka …

Ananta das: … not Uttama-sloka. What was that devotee’s name?

Radhanath das (now Damodara Maharaja): Urukrama.

Srila Gurudeva:Urukrama, accha.

Ananta das: … so they’re thinking of taking shelter, and some already have. And they have known you and they’re asking me what do you think. So I wasn’t too sure how to reply. So when devotees ask like that, what shall we say?

Ananta das: Well I say — and I don’t know if it’s right. What I say is that, better if you have faith in someone in ISKCON then you stay like that and find someone within the society. If you can’t find anybody anywhere, anything … then if that’s what you have to do, then that is your choice.

Srila Gurudeva:That is your choice, yes. That is your choice.

Damodara Maharaja:Some disciples of Prabhupada, then they take siksa outside the movement — because siksa-guru and diksa-guru are non-different. But it seems like uhm, maybe they’re disobeying Prabhupada’s will, ‘cause Prabhupada’s will is to push on ISKCON … but they’re moving outside. So, what’s their situation?

Srila Gurudeva:What?

Ananta das: What was that?

Damodara Maharaja:They’re disciples of Srila Prabhupada but they leave ISKCON to take siksa outside of ISKCON.

Gokuldas das: Is that disobeying Srila Prabhupada’s…. cause …

Srila Gurudeva:That is discussed in the GBC body. Those who are going to Narayana Maharaja. Top leaders of … society

Ananta das: Yes, they were asked not to do that.

Srila Gurudeva: … are there secretly.

Gokuldas das: Guru Maharaja, you’ve said that Narayana Maharaja is not in the Bhaktivinoda-dhara because he is a bhajanandani. His mood is more like that.

Srila Gurudeva: We are not discussing that point. He is speaking of ISKCON, and somebody in ISKCON, that’s a different point. [When] you speak of Vaisnavism, that narrowness is not there. [When] the question of ISKCON comes, then different topic. ISKCON, Non-ISKCON. That is different. ISKCON, Non-ISKCON.

Jagadish Pandit das: You were saying once Guru Maharaja, that to hear Krsna-katha there’s nothing wrong, if you go and hear from anyone.

Srila Gurudeva: I said that … when there is question of ISKCON / Non-ISKCON. That’s a completely different topic. Vaisnavism is a completely different topic. (Don’t jumble up … ???)

Raghava Pandit das: Why is it different? It shouldn’t be different…

Srila Gurudeva:You create the difference.

Raghava Pandit das: Oooh yes… [laughter]

Srila Gurudeva:This ISKCON and Non-ISKCON, you create it.

Gokuldas das: So Guru Maharaja, these people are asking ‘What Gour Govinda Maharaja says’, so if we repeat about Vaisnavism and just let that into their ears and then they can make up their own mind … is that OK?